Wrecks are on the rise in South Texas, and with school coming back into session at the end of the month, drivers are reminded to drive carefully at all times, and particularly in school zones.

McMullen County Sheriff Emmett Shelton said their top priority will be the school zone once school goes back in session on Aug. 26. He said deputies will be watching school zones closely.

Crashes increased by 295.5 percent in McMullen County and by 11.1 percent in Live Oak County from 2008 to 2011, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

McMullen County’s percentage increase for crashes is the largest in the entire state, with the next closest being La Salle County with a 211.7 percent increase with 60 crashes in 2008 and 187 crashes in 2011.

McMullen had 22 crashes in 2008 and 87 crashes in 2011. Live Oak had 253 crashes in 2008 and 281 crashes in 2011.

McMullen Independent School District Superintendent Dave Underwood met with Sheriff Shelton about getting drivers to slow down and readjust to seeing school buses on the roads again.

“There is a zero tolerance for violations in school zones,” Shelton said. “In 2012, we got tired of scraping people up off the road. I’ve been in law enforcement for 23 years and saw my share, but it was an immersion course here in 2012, where you are literally picking up body parts, and we decided not to allow that to happen again.”